


Memory

by TheObnoxiousWindFish



Category: Genei Ibun Roku #FE | Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE
Genre: Cain and Virion are hella gay tho, F/M, Look they're bi kids lemme live, M/M, So thats why we have those warnings., and Virion dies kinda, gruesomely., the warnings are because Virion's past life and Eleonora remembering it as a nightmare
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-14 01:00:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28787607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheObnoxiousWindFish/pseuds/TheObnoxiousWindFish
Summary: Virion remembers more than he wants to.Cain... Cain is able to make it easier.
Relationships: Akagi Touma & Cain, Akagi Touma/Yumizuru Eleonora, Cain/Viaur | Virion, Yumizuru Eleonora & Viaur | Virion
Kudos: 2





	Memory

Virion remembers. 

He remembers it all, from his noble childhood, his crushing choice to save his people over his homeland, his valiant fight against Walhart with the Shepards – he even remembers who married among their small army, the children from the future past, and how he died that cruel, summer day, repenting for a sacrifice that no one would understand, no one would record for the toll on him that it was, and how Virion was stoned to death in front of his childhood home, in front of the children he took in after the bloody feud. He doesn’t know what happened to Rosanne after he died, nor does he care to talk about it, because not only will no one understand, it’s painful enough that he sometimes has phantom pains from stones hitting him, from arrows, swords, lances, magic and all other types of pain he suffered as the duke of Rosanne. He remembers vividly, and curses every time his dear Ellie screams at night, because he knows the nightmares of war and pain are not her anxieties and fears, but his own memories playing out in her mind, and he cannot find it in himself to tell her the truth. He wonders if the other Masters have similar torments, but when Itsuki’s partner Mirage, Chrom, did not recognize Virion’s title, he simply threw the entire topic away and never divulged in it again. Tharja has no memory of the tactician she adored, and Virion figures it’s best if she doesn’t. Caeda doesn’t remember, either. Draug barely remembers his time in the clutches of evil, much less anything before that, and if Navarre remembers Virion would never get a word out of him. Tiki was a lost cause in this area, because Virion knows she has no memory. 

That left Cain, who remembered Abel, his other half, and Virion had a sneaking suspicion that Cain remembered more than just the Panther to his Bull. 

It was one of those nights, where Ellie awoke to tears from remembering Virion’s life. She whimpers, feeling her head, her arms, and Virion’s soft voice comes to the back of her mind as she frantically checks herself for bruises. 

“Dear Ellie, was it another nightmare?” He asks, and wordlessly, she nods. Of course it was, he was there, he watched it play out, and he can only apologize for the curse he has saddled Eleonora with. She deserves so much better. 

“Y...yeah.” She mutters, and Virion attempts to dispel the nightmares by thinking of something else. 

“I believe that Touma is still awake, perhaps you should call him?” Virion offers. It’s not the comfort he would like to provide, where he would rest Ellie’s head on his thighs and sing her to sleep, letting her rest in the Bloom Palace’s ward against nightmares, but he figures the only other Mirage Master awake at this time would be a proper replacement. Virion glances over to Cain, who has taken to sitting against the pillar, watching him. 

“... I’ll try.” Ellie says, and Virion takes this as his direction to let her talk to him in private. Their relationship is still blooming, after all, and he’d rather not interfere. Even if Touma isn’t the noble Virion would have preferred, a hero in blazing armor is much better than the other options out there. Touma reminds him of Vaike, in that way, and it makes him smile. 

Cain continues to watch Virion, and Virion finally turns to address him properly. 

“Ellie isn’t sleeping well?” Cain says in a hushed voice. Tharja’s sleeping form twitches, and Tiki doesn’t stir. Even Navarre stares at nothing, the only indication he was resting is that he laid on the floor instead of standing. Knowing Navarre, he would prefer sleeping standing up. 

“Sadly, she is not.” Virion responds, stretching out his long legs and hopping off the pillar, barely hovering over the grass. Cain stands up as well, a bit stiff, and they meet in the middle of the path to Tiki’s alter. Virion admires his face, briefly, before tilting his hat down. “I assume we’re having a meeting?” 

“... Under the tree, yes.” Cain replies, and the two Mirages sneak away, Virion carefully floating above the grass, and Cain’s footsteps silent as they make an escape, hopping up the rocks and behind the stairs to a little nook away from prying eyes. It’s a little dip between the walls and broken-down staircases, where a mighty tree shades the area, making it comfortable and peaceful. They stumbled upon it one day, while Tharja was gone with Kiria, and have used it as a meeting place to themselves since. Virion floats down, perching on the roots, and Cain joins him, leaning his back to the tree as he sits cross legged on the root across – close, without being too close. 

Virion’s mask pulls down, revealing his full face, something not even Ellie has seen. Cain pushes away his visor. 

This is how they know they’re not lying to each other. 

“... is she still dreaming your memories?” Cain whispers, watching Virion’s expression closely. Virion sighs. 

“Yes.” Virion mutters. He feels so, so tired. 

Cain pauses. “How much do you remember, Virion?” 

Virion hesitates. 

“Everything, until my death.” Virion admits in a low, quiet voice. Cain flinches at the reply, and Virion looks away. He shouldn’t have said that. 

“Everything?” Cain repeats, and Virion hates how concerned he sounds. 

“My entire life, from when I was three to my death. Ellie has been living my memories as nightmares since she took me as her Mirage.” Virion admits, and suddenly he can’t look at Cain anymore. The pain etched on Cain’s face is too much for him to handle, the pity for his sorry state is something he’s too familiar with. Cain reaches out, placing a hand on his shoulder, and Virion flinches, but otherwise, lets him. The other hand touches Virion’s uncovered face, stroking his cheek with his thumb, and watching his eyes. Virion twitches, trying to fore himself to stay in the embrace, rather than reject it – yet his instinct to push Cain away keeps screaming. 

Cain doesn’t move, not right away, instead slowly moving to pull Virion into a tight hug. 

Virion doesn’t say anything – the odd little puddles of liquid Virion leaves behind on Cain’s shoulder pads are tears, streaming out of his eyes, and Virion makes a muffled sob. Cain doesn’t say anything, rubbing soft circles on Virion’s back, letting him mourn, because Cain has done the same to him over and over. While Ellie and Touma’s relationship on a surface level is a rivalry, a bickering back and forth, under it all, they care. 

Virion pauses, checking in with Ellie, and learns that she’s on the phone with Touma, curled around her pillow as she tells him what she saw. She tells him the vivid detail of how she was in a manor, just like Virion’s home in Rosanne, where he cared for the orphans after the war, and how he was dragged from his palace, dragged into the front lawn, and stoned as children watched from the windows, crying and eyes wide in fear, until he stopped moving, stopped seeing, stopped breathing, and finally died. 

Virion shudders in Cain’s grasp, and Cain’s hold tightens as Virion steps away from Ellie’s thoughts, trying to work on calming his frazzled nerves. He finally returns Cain’s embrace, careful for his arm mounted crossbows, and sobs again, the clear memory of the children in the manor haunting him. Cain doesn’t say anything, letting him weep, noting this is the first time in their private meetings that Virion has ever been the one to need comfort, having stood strong and proud for all this time without ever letting on he was in distress. Cain doesn’t envy Virion in the slightest. 

They stay like that, until Cain finally speaks. 

“Touma just left to visit Ellie.” Cain advises, and Virion only sobs a broken sob, almost a whimper as he attempts to collect himself. “Even though they both have school tomorrow.” 

“I’m not surprised. This one... was the worst one so far.” Virion admits. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Cain whispers. 

Virion makes a laugh that is full of sadness and guilt. 

“What more is there to say? She dreamed the day I died.” Virion mutters in a mournful voice, finally pulling away enough to look Cain in the eyes. Cain’s jaw hangs open, and is quickly replaced by a frown. 

“When I died, I became a Mirage, and then... well, Ellie saved me, and here I am.” 

Cain doesn’t know what to say, and Virion doesn’t blame him. Instead, he just continues to talk. 

“It was a disgraceful death, really. If I had a spouse, perhaps the people would have forgiven me more easily, but I came home a bachelor and a disgrace.” Virion continues, and he knows he’s babbling now, but the words are spilling out of him. “Who knew, the Duke of Rosanne, all washed up? The Duke who let his homeland burn, and for what? He claimed to do it for the people, but was he not just a selfish man, who did not have loyalty to his home? A true member of the Rosanne house would have stayed and fought until the bitter death! But no, Virion was simply a coward and a traitor, who went and joined a volunteer army in Ylisse after going into hiding!” 

Cain doesn’t interject, instead letting Virion ramble – but he knows that Virion would never admit to any of this if Cain were to stop him. Instead, he tries to digest every word that Virion says, and all he can think of is how undeserved the end of this man happened to be. Virion was not just a noble in blood, but a noble man in spirit, who cared for his people that he would rather them hate him but live and continue their culture than all die in a war he could not win. Virion erupts into a pained wail, still quiet, still unheard by the others, and Cain takes this a moment to check in with Touma. 

Touma has reached Ellie’s home, and has snuck in to her room after she came to meet him. As of now, Touma is holding her, letting her cry into his shoulder and doing his damnest to comfort her, just like Cain is doing for Virion now. They really aren’t so different, are they? 

“Touma.” Cain whispers in the back of his head. 

Touma doesn’t respond, but nods quietly, softly, enough Eleonora doesn’t seem to notice him. 

“Stay with Ellie. I will talk to Tiki and Lady Maiko tomorrow morning to get you both excused.” Cain instructs, and rather than argue, Touma glances back down at Ellie, who seems so small and frail compared to her usual energy. A nightmare so vivid and real, that she thought it was her own memory... 

Touma doesn’t verbally reply, but he instead gently rocks Ellie, letting her collect herself and try to sleep. Touma himself is exhausted, too – bike rides through Tokyo at the late hours of the night aren’t exactly ideal – but tomorrow they can figure out what to do next. 

Cain returns to Virion’s side, and finds him calmed down some. He still shakes and shudders, trying to cry, but his body simply will not produce more tears. He straightens up to look at Cain, eyes weary and tired, and his voice seems nothing but a whisper, a gasp of what it usually is. 

“Why have I cursed a young lady that deserves so much better?” 

Cain finds himself talking before he can stop himself. 

“You did not curse her, Virion. You two are connected, and while this isn’t something either of you want, it is part of your link with Ellie. Just as Touma has seen my memories of myself and Abel, he too, has seen my death and my wars, and that is only because I remember. Do you not think Chrom gives Itsuki dreams of his homeland he barely remembers, or Caeda doesn't give Tsubasa glimpses of a past she cannot fully remember?” Cain knows he’s talking too much, but he also knows Virion won’t listen to him any other time on this topic. “I would say you are the best partner for her to have. She may not be a lady like in your time, but she is here to teach you that you shouldn’t be ashamed of yourself for your actions, because you recognized what mattered most to your leadership – the people, and you would rather save the lives of all of them and burn at the stake if that’s what fate had in store for you. You are not a coward, Virion – you never were. Ellie is trying to teach you that your past and your heritage no longer bind you.” 

Virion stares at Cain in disbelief, and Cain feels his face getting flushed. Virion’s expression is one of wonder, realization and understanding, finally having all the pieces of his life as Eleonora’s mirage click into place. He shudders, but this time, a smile crosses his face, and Cain can’t help but find himself smiling back. 

“Thank you, Cain.” Virion says, the smile on his face still large and almost foreign – yet Cain can’t help but think it looks... good. It fits Virion. It’s enough that Cain can’t keep watching too long, and instead looks away, bashful. Virion chuckles as he sits upright, favoring to cross his arms. Cain mimics the pose, and they stay like that, because they both need time to check on their masters, and perhaps fill them in on what’s going on. Virion found Ellie fast asleep with a pleasant dream of a motorcycle ride through Hollywood, with the motorcycle bearing a familiar red and gold paint job. Cain found that Touma had fallen asleep, too, with a dream of saving a damsel in distress – only for the damsel to fight with him, rather than let him do all the work. 

When Virion returns, Cain is there, and something twinges in his chest, lined up where that crystal heart of his rests. Cain feels light, but tire, and yet... 

“I do need to talk with Tiki and Lady Maiko, tomorrow morning...” Cain says, because he promised to get Touma out of trouble. 

“I also need to speak with them, on Ellie’s behalf...” Virion mutters, because he knows Ellie needs time to collect herself and the Idolasphere will only make it worse. 

There’s silence. 

“As long as we wake up in time, to talk with Lady Maiko and tiki...” Cain begins. 

“... And before the others notice we’re gone...” Virion adds. 

The question hangs between them, unspoken. They know their own answers, and Cain takes the first step, sliding off the root and into the little pocket between their spots on the roots, letting his back rest against the tree trunk. Virion all too quickly hops down himself, only to force himself to stop looking eager by dusting off his front. He drops to his knees, and more or less throws his arms around Cain’s neck, resting his head on Cain’s chest and letting the rest fall where it may. Virion’s crossbows seem to be a non-issue, and Cain wraps his arms around Virion’s waist. This... was new, and yet familiar, and neither Virion nor Cain wanted to move from the spot. 

There’s a bit of silence, before Virion makes a small chuckle. Cain looks down at him, at first worried, until he realizes Virion is smiling again. 

“... Do you think Ellie and Touma will realize we reflect what their hearts desire?” Virion asks, the gem in his chest starting to glow. Cain thinks on it, then shakes his head. 

“Probably not.” Cain admits. “Touma... is dense.” 

Virion laughs again, and Cain finds himself smiling. 

“Then I do not need to spell out my love for you, yes?” Virion asks, tilting his head and giving Cain an expression that makes his heart melt. 

“No, I don’t think you do.” Cain mutters back, and leans down, pressing his lips to the top of Virion’s hat, causing the archer to flush, and by proxy, the gem in his chest to glow brighter. Virion stutters, and Cain smiles, watching Virion fluster and finally admit defeat by pushing his face back against Cain’s chest, causing Cain to chuckle. 

Much to the surprise of themselves, the short nap they had together ended just in time, allowing the pair to sneak back to the Bloom Palace, allowing for Cain and Virion to return to their usual spots – with no one any the wiser. Navarre was the first one awake, followed by Tharja, Virion, Cain, Chrom, Caeda, and finally, Tiki - which allowed Virion and Cain to vouch for their respective Mirage Masters, and give them the rest they needed considering the rough night both of them had. 

Cain and Virion would never tell if anything happened between them, anyway.


End file.
